Vol 21 | Issue 1 | April 2020
| www.asa-inc.org.au
This has been one of the most turbulent starts to a year in recent memory. 2020 has not been without its challenges, but the Australasian (iron & steel) Slag Association is very pleased to bring you some good news in the form of another edition of CONNECTIONS! The ASA wants to keep you abreast of any and all relevant information. It is now more important than ever to stay connected from afar as we hope to slowly see a transition back to ‘normal’. Whether you are reading this from your regular office or your newly designed home office, we hope that you are staying safe & healthy. We have a jammed packed Connections for you this April. Our latest instalment looks at projects & research from across the world. From the University of California to Global Slag Conferences and slag being utilized in buildings all the way over in London. We strive to keep you updated on all thing’s slag. This edition delves into the latest slag related project over in San Francisco, where the University of California has utilized steel furnace slag on their campus in the development of a new Law Faculty building. The materials were used in conjuncture with a new carbon-reducing method known as Carbon Cure.
TH I S I SS U E
From one new carbon focus to another, India’s leading companies involved in the construction, infrastructure, and ready-mix concrete sectors have been given the green light to trial EdenCrete (a carbon nanotube enriched liquid) with geopolymer cement. We probe into that project and explain its relation to Slag.
2020 is set to be one of the strangest years for courses and conferences in the Industry. We look to the 15th Global Slag Conference and its adaption to a virtual platform. Read our story to find out how you can attend. The Centre for Pavement Engineering Education (CPEE) has unfortunately been forced to postponed all of their upcoming courses for 2020. One conference still slated to go ahead as planned is the Australian Pavement Recycling and Stabilisation Conference. Booked for the 29th of July, submissions are now being invited for presentation. AustStab will assess all submissions and advise applicants of acceptance by Friday 29th May 2020. Shifting to projects, we explore the Northern Connector, a new six-lane motorway in South Australia and how Granulated Blast Furnace slag was sourced from Adelaide Brighton, reinforcing steel and billet from Liberty Steel and quarry products from Southern Quarries and Clinton Sands. As always, the Australasian (iron & steel) Slag Association (ASA) publishes an annual survey for information regarding iron & steel slag production and sales by members and non-members for each calendar year. For those companies who have received the membership survey, this needs to be returned ASAP in order for the results to be aggregated and reported. The Australasian (iron & steel) Slag Association would like to thank all of our members and readers! We hope that you stay safe and healthy over this challenging period!
1. Editorial 2. COVID-19 Response 3. Funding Confirmed for SmartCrete CRC 4. Steel Furnace Slag Being Used at University of California 5. Improved Performance for Geopolymer Concrete Mixes 6. Changes to Courses Run by the Centre for Pavement Engineering Education (CPEE). 7. Virtual Conference Announced 8. Innovation & Sustainability – Earth Friendly Concrete 9. Blast Furnace Slag Used in Northern Connector 10. Call for Papers – Australian Pavement Recycling and Stabilisation Conference 11. 2020 Membership Survey Reminder
CONTENTS
Editorial
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CONNECTIONS EDITORIAL TEAM | April 2020 Edition Connections is published by the ASA The Australasian (Iron & Steel) Slag Association Wollongong NSW 2500 Phone: 02 4258 0160 Fax: 02 4258 0169 Email: info@asa-inc.org.au Web: www.asa-inc.org.au Executive Director: Craig Heidrich Editor: Dan Webb Design: 101 Design Contributors: Dan Webb, Craig Heidrich, Steph Hazelton Connections is a biannual publication with an online circulation of 1500 copies
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@asa_info
COVID-19
RESPONSE As COVID-19 continues to evolve, the Australasian (iron and steel) Slag Association would like to reassure our members that we are actively monitoring and responding accordingly to Government updates. We are committed to making informed, balanced and respectful decisions based on the advice from Australian Federal and State Governments. We believe the Association is connected with essential businesses and as such, we have made the decision to continue our operations as per usual until further notice. In support of the health and wellbeing of our staff, members and wider community the Association has put in place appropriate measures to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 whilst continuing its regular business hours. The Association’s past investment in online platforms to communicate and host meetings for our various committees will allow us to continue our engagement. For the next few months, however, please avoid visiting our place of business and adhere to social distancing advice. The Australasian (iron and steel) Slag Association is here for you - to ensure the longevity and success of our members businesses well beyond these unprecedented circumstances. We greatly appreciate your ongoing support during these difficult times.
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FUNDING CONFIRMED FOR
SMARTCRETE CRC The Association is very pleased to announce the Minister for Industry, the Honourable Karen Andrews MP, has announced that the SmartCrete CRC was awarded $21 million in funding. The SmartCrete CRC consortium has nearly $90 million of resources which will be deployed to realise major opportunities for the concrete sector over the next 7 years. Minister Andrews said the SmartCrete CRCC also had the potential to drive down costs significantly without compromising safety or quality. The industry led SmartCrete CRC has generated a further $69 million in cash and in-kind contributions from industry and researchers. Since 2013, the Government has committed $1.1 billion to support the establishment of 30 CRCs, with industry and research partners contributing $3.4 billion in cash and in-kind contributions. This funding will facilitate one of Australia's most significant collaborative research efforts into the concrete industry. $90 million will be invested over the next 7 years to expand the industry and significantly improve the productivity of Australia.
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“Concrete is so essential to our building industry and public infrastructure projects that even small savings and increases in productivity can make a massive difference,” Minister Andrews said. “It will allow us to get more bang for our buck, which is so important for the productivity and sustainability of Australian industries.” For more information call (02) 9850 8426 or email info@smartcretecrc.com.au.
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STEEL FURNACE SLAG BEING USED AT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Steel Furnace Slag and other Supplementary Cementitious Materials are now being used in conjuction with Dartmouth based concrete company Carbon Cure. A process that starts with CO2 captured from fertilizer and ethanol plants which is then purified primarily for use in carbonated drinks, is now taking on a new purpose - to carbonate concrete. Such processes could reduce concrete’s embodied carbon by over 80%. With almost 200 concrete producing sites in North America & Singapore utilising the method, over 55 million kilograms of CO2 has been eliminated. American-based Central Concrete often use concrete mixes that have high slag content. The new San Francisco law building at the University of California was one such building. For that job they added CO2 to concrete with a 55:45 ratio of Portland cement to supplementaries, cutting embodied carbon in half relative to conventional concrete. Supplementary Cementitious Materials like slag are currently being used in over 20% of cement across the globe, with Industry forecasts showing that this number could be increased to over 65% in the future.
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IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
FOR GEOPOLYMER CONCRETE MIXES India’s leading companies involved in the construction, infrastructure, and ready-mix concrete sectors have been given the green light to trial EdenCrete (a carbon nanotube enriched liquid) with geopolymer cement. By exploring the potential of the carbon-strengthened additive, India aims to combine EdenCrete with high pozzolan (fly ash, silica fume, slag) concrete mixes to optimise performance and increase cement efficiency. In effect, this may enable an increase in the ratio of waste material such as slag, to cement during concrete production. With the assistance of EdenCrete, the percentages can be altered to create an eco-friendlier low-cost product without hindering the concrete performance characteristics. Samples of Indian cement and fly ash were sent to Eden’s Colorado laboratory for testing where after three days, the test cylinders showed significant improvement in the concrete’s early strength development – a characteristic that’s prevented when the proportion of pozzolanic material is too high and without the additive of EdenCrete.
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Groups within the concrete industry are putting these well-received results to the test in their own concrete mixes that include fly ash or blast furnace slag. In the process of identifying suitable applications for these mixes, the advantage of EdenCrete is the carbon nanotubes providing greater bearing capacity for slabs, columns, and footings. Generating electricity; fertiliser plants; cement furnaces and brick kilns is the non-coking coal that is mainly used in India’s coal-fired thermal power stations. As non-coking coal contains high levels of silica, a significant amount of fly ash is produced. Minimising air pollution, this is captured in the smokestacks of the furnaces and sold at very low prices or given away for free. With a population exceeding 1.3 billion and a rapidly growing concrete market, India is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint. Large quantities of waste materials such as slag and fly ash are being repurposed into an affordable and beneficial resource that can replace a higher ratio of cement with the addition of EdenCrete, which will result in a lower overall cost of concrete, without being produced at the expense of the environment.
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CHANGES TO COURSES RUN BY THE CENTRE FOR PAVEMENT ENGINEERING EDUCATION (CPEE) The CPEE has advised that, due to the ongoing and increasing social isolation measures being brought into place to slow transmission of the COVID-19 virus. All CPEE short courses during this period have been postponed. CPEE will reschedule these courses in accordance with the Federal Government advice. Existing registrations will be automatically transferred to the rescheduled course (or an alternative course). Alternatively, a full refund will be provided by CPEE if the new dates do not suit. This means that the Stabilisation Fundamentals courses scheduled for Parramatta on Thursday 26th March, Ipswich on Tuesday 31st March and Melbourne on Thursday 16th April 2020 will be postponed to a date to be advised.
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Other Courses for 2020 are:
• Canberra June 23rd • Bendigo July 21st • Rockhampton July 23rd • Adelaide August 25th • Narrabri September 15th • Hobart October TBC
For additional information visit: www.pavementeducation.edu.au
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VIRTUAL CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED The 15th Global Slag Conference is Going Ahead... ONLINE!
Our friends at Global Slag have decided to combat the effects of COVID-19 by moving their Global Slag Conference and Exhibition to a virtual platform. Our friends at Global Slag have decided to combat the effects of COVID-19 by moving their Global Slag Conference and Exhibition to a virtual platform. The conference will allow all attendees to maximise their profits from slag - both ferrous and non-ferrous, will keep them up to date with the industry state-of-the-art and will provide extensive networking and business opportunities for both producers and users of slag and slag-based products. If your business is slag, make it your business to attend the Virtual Global Slag Conference in 2020! Given the interest of the cement industry in these subjects, Global Slag, the organiser of the event, has decided to create a 'virtual' version of the Slag Conference which will take place in Spring 2020. This will give participants an opportunity to continue with business, and to give participants timely information on the developing situation. The conference will run on Wednesday 6th May - 6pm AEST. For more information visit their website: https://www.globalslag.com/conferences/global-slag/introduction
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INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY
EARTH FRIENDLY CONCRETE The rising need for more housing, buildings and developments to shape our growing population is simultaneously sparking concerns of carbon emissions and its impact on future generations. For Toowoomba based construction company, Wagners, sustainability in the construction industry is key. Transforming the industry by using innovative technology and waste materials to produce a cement-free concrete, the Australian company is becoming world-renowned, with London recently joining forces to trial Wagners Earth Friendly Concrete (EFC) in a 17-storey building. Using a geopolymer technology to bind fly ash from coal fired power stations and slag from steel production, the by-products reduce the emissions produced by ordinary concrete by up to 90 per cent. The end result displays higher resistance to deterioration factors such as chloride ion ingress, sulphate, acid and heat, which increases the overall quality and durability of the concrete. With these environmental and structural impacts, Wagners are aiming to shift production processes worldwide by influencing jobs and projects across the industry. In effect, the company has
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already used EFC in a range of successful projects including the Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport. Heavy duty pavements for turning node and taxiway areas, foundations and wall panels for the terminal and civil works including the entry bridge solely used Earth Friendly Cement. The elimination of Portland cement in this single project prevented the 8,800 tonnes of CO₂ emission that would have been produced using conventional cementbased concrete. Currently, according to the UK Green Building Council, its estimated the UK construction industry generates about 22% of UK carbon emissions, uses 40% of drinking water, contributes 50% to climate change and over half our landfill waste, and accounts for 39% of global energy use. While Central London’s adopting geopolymer concrete in its high-rises, Wagners continues to drive the movement of sustainable construction by transforming materials and methods used in the production of concrete on a local and global scale.
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BLAST FURNACE SLAG USED IN NORTHERN CONNECTOR South Australian steel and concrete – the key ingredients that made the grand opening of the Northern Connector - a six-lane motorway, possible. Negotiations on the connector commenced 10 years ago with initial works taking place in 2016. Spanning connection points for 15 kilometres, the motorway provides vital freight and commuter links between the Northern Expressway, South Road Superway and Port River Expressway. Cement and granulated blast furnace slag was sourced from Adelaide Brighton, reinforcing steel and billet from Liberty Steel and quarry products from Southern Quarries and Clinton Sands. 175,000 cubic metres of concrete was used for the pavement and 6,750 tonnes of Whyalla steel. The new infrastructure will drive investment to the tourism and real estate industries providing easier access to the Barossa region for commuters and travellers. Mostly paved with concrete, the road will withstand large volumes and heavy loads, improving freight access to the airport and Port Adelaide, advantageous to the primary industries.
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SA Freight Council executive officer Evan Knapp said the road would cut time, costs, and emissions.
“That will make us more competitive on both the domestic and world stage,” he told the Cairns Post. According to Jason Kuchel, state director for NSW and SA of industry group Cement, Concrete and Aggregates Australia, the materials used in the road will reduce maintenance, saving taxpayers tens of millions of dollars over the lifetime of the road. The industry anticipates the Northern Connector would be the first of many concrete roads with other major highways to follow.
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CALL FOR PAPERS AUSTRALIAN PAVEMENT RECYCLING AND STABILISATION CONFERENCE
We’re calling for papers to be presented at the Australian Pavement Recycling and Stabilisation Conference to be held at the Novotel Brighton Beach, Sydney on Wednesday 29th July 2020. Presentations (20 minutes duration) may cover any aspect of pavement stabilisation consistent with the general conference theme of Pavement Recycling for Sustainable Roads and cover one of the following topics: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Research Outcomes Stabilisation for Local Government Construction Excellence Sustainability and Resilience
Submissions detailing the following information must be sent to enquiry@auststab.com.au by close of business on Thursday 30th April 2020:
AustStab will assess all submissions and advise applicants of acceptance by Friday 29th May 2020. Presenters must consent to the publication of their presentation in PDF form on the AustStab website following the conference. Please refer to the Australian Pavement Recycling and Stabilisation Conference webpage for program and registration details. The one-day conference will be held in conjunction with other activities over three days from Tuesday 28th to Thursday 30th July 2020
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Presentation title General topic (Research Outcomes, Stabilisation for Local Government,
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Presenter name and contact details
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Abstract of 300 words maximum
https://www.auststab.com.au/conference-and-agm
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Construction Excellence, or Sustainability and Resilience) (email and mobile phone number)
Register your interest in attending any or all of the events here:
2020
MEMBERSHIP SURVEY REMINDER
The Australasian (iron & steel) Slag Association (ASA) publishes an annual survey for information regarding iron & steel slag production and sales by members and non-members for each calendar year. The Association publishes an annual membership survey report providing a brief overview and commentary on the statistics and figures returned by our survey participants in regard to their annual production and sales of iron & steel slags. For those companies who have received the membership survey, this needs to be returned ASAP in order for the results to be aggregated and reported. If you are having any trouble completing the survey, please contact the office at (02) 4258 0160 or by email at info@asa-inc.org.au.
WE NEED YOUR CONTENT
Connections is produced twice a year for the benefit of ASA members and before each publication is drafted, an email is sent to all members urging them to contribute their stories. The types of content we are looking for include: New developments or technologies
New projects
New employees
We also have a Member Profile section, which is open to all member companies for contributions on behalf of the business in general, or a specific employee. So if you have an idea or content that you think might make an interesting article, get in contact with the Association today: publications@asa-inc.org.au
SUBSCRIBE TO www.asa-inc.org.au Views expressed in Connections newsletter do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Australasian Slag Association. All contributions are welcomed, though the publisher reserves the right to decline or edit for style grammar, length and legal reasons.
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